Mechanism for controlling the operation of jigger dyeing machines and for performing like functions



March 19, 1935. QWLER HAL 1,994,545

MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF JIGGER DYEING MACHINES AND FOR PERFORMING LIKE FUNCTIONS- Filed Nov. 14, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet Geo | TOWLER ET AL 1,994,545

ING THE OP GGER DYEING LIKE FUNCTIONS Mlrch '19, 1935.

MECHANISM FOR CONTROLL ERATION OF JI MACHINES AND FOR PERFORMING Filed Nov. 14, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 19, 1935. L WLER AL 1,994,545

EING

MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF JIGGER DY MACHINES AND FOR PERFORMING LIKE FUNCTIONS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 14, 1932 /w xmw wh /2% March 19, 1935.

TOWLER El AL' 1,994,545 MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF JIGGER DYEING MACHINES AND FOR PERFORMING LIKE FUNCTIONS Filed N'W. 14, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 4W4 ala m, 12%;.

March 19, 1935. L, TOWLER HA 1,994,545

MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF JIGGER DYEING MACHINES AND FOR PERFORMING LIKE FUNCTIONS Filed NOV. 14, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 19, 1935 PArer oFFieE MECHANISM ron- CONTROLLING I ran OPERATION OF JIGGER DYEING' MA- CHINES AND FOR PERFORMING LIKE FUNCTIONS Leonard Towlcr, Yeadon, near Leeds, and William Towler, Yeadon, England Application November 14, 1932, Serial No. 642,484 In Great Britain November 17, 1931 6 Claims. (01. 242-55) In the dyeing of fabrics by machines known as jigger dyeing machines? the pieces or lengths of cloth or fabrics are carried repeatedly forward and backward through the dye liquor by being paid-out or unrolled from one roller to be wound upon another roller and then to be reversed in di-- rection by the unwinding roller being engaged with the driving gear to become the winding roll er, while the former rollerhas to pay-out or unwind the coils offabric from it.

Our present invention consists in the produc tion of. means whereby the winding or coiling of same'upon one roller while it is being paid out from the other roller is automatically controlled so that when the winding actions of the fabric have been completed in one direction in' the known manner, the driving gear is automatically reversed so that the winding in the opposite direction is then commenced. These winding and rewinding functions are continued for any predetermined number of reversals and when said numher is reached-the operations of the machine are automatically arrested to allow the attendant to carry out the known adjustments either as to the changing of the dye-liquor or the substitution of another roll or batch ofcloth tobe treated. We arrange the automatic control of the driving to be efiected by cam action operated at the desired speed from the machines main shaft by toothed wheel or other gearing. The said cam action is arranged to be suspended automatically until it has to bring about the reversal stated, while when the, desired number of reversals of actions have been carried out, the motions of the machine are arrested with the fabric fully wound uponone or other of the rollers to enable the attendant freely to remove same to attend to any duties he has to carry out in manner well known.

In connection with the said driving gear we make use of cam mechanism which automatically controls all the reversingmovements of the winding rollers (by causing the usualclutchmember on the main shaft of the machine to slide and engage the gearing for operating the winding rollers as is hereinafter explained) as well as controlling the number of revolutions of, same to ing the application thereto of our improved mechanism. Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation of the machine shown'by Fig. l, the section being taken on line A- -B of Fig. l. V

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the right hand side of the machine shown by Fig. 1 and as seen looking from left to right of said figure.

' Fig. i is a sectional end elevation taken on line C-D of Fig. l and as seen looking from left to right of said figure. I

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of devices for automatically operating clutch mechanism to effect reversals in the actions of the winding mechanism hereinafter described;

Fig. 6 is a plan of the driving clutch mechanisrn and means for automatic'allyoperating same in order to control the actions of the cam drum.

Fig. '7 is an elevation of the cam drum as seen removed fromthe otherparts shown by Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of the devices shown looking from the rear of Fig. 7 and illustrates the shaft and method of mountingof the cam and cam wheel hereinafter described, i Fig. 9 is a sectional elevationof the cam and cam wheel shown by Figs. 7 and 8, said section being taken on line F-G- of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a similar section to Fig. taken on the line HK of Fig. 7.

Fig. 11 shows the end plate or-bearing of the framework within which the driving gear is mounted as seen looking in front of the machine in order that the devices mounted thereon for adjustingthe several parts may be clearly shown. The vat p of the machine has secured to one end of it the longitudinal plates M, M the 1at-- use of a cam drum 2 in which any desired num-, ber of cam surfaces 20. may be formed upon its periphery so that provided the number of reversals of the winding shafts as hereinafter described are required to be brought four times into action before finally stopping the machine then four cam surfaces 2a are made use of on cam 2. Four of the cam surfaces 2a are shown in the drawings although it is obvious that we'may have six (or more or fewer) of said cam surfaceslby 'arrang g-their co-operating parts4-lc to act.

in conjunctiontherewith as is hereinafter do a scribed. The cam Z'and its driving wheel 3are 9 but iskeyed or fixed upon a shaft 3a which revolves loosely in its bearings 3b and 30 which are mounted upon the cross bars L, L which are supported by the longitudinal frames M and M The wheel 3 has fixed to it the cam drum 2 upon the periphery of which are fixed the cam surfaces 2a, and

, the end of the drum 2 extends so that it may have mounted within it spring actuated sliding bolts 4, 4a, 4b and 40 (Fig. 7) which are successively brought into action by the rotary mo: tion of the drum 2 in themanner and-for the purpose hereinafter described; Within the open ing into which the inner ends of the sliding bolts 4-40 extend is mounted a cam 5 which is fixed upon a manually operated shaft 5a, that extends horizontally through the outerend wall L in order that a hand wheel 51) maybe fixed thereon.

order that the actions of said earn 5 may'bemade tooperate in the desired sequence as is hereinafter explained.

Mounted radially and intervening betweeneach of the sliding bolts4-4c are'othe'r sliding bolts 7, 7a, 7b and '70 which are normally kept in an outwardly extending position by their operating springs w (Fig. 10). These bolts 77c are arranged to automatically operate the clutch coupling 8w for engaging and disengaging the shaft 8 from its driving wheel which normally runs loosely thereon, and on this shaft 8 is fixed a pinion 82) which engages or meshes with the wheel 3 in order to transmit intermittent rotary motion thereto and to the cam drum 2 as will be hereinafter explained.

The wheel 8a is a chain or sprocket wheel and derives its motion from a wheel 80 by the chain 8d (Fig. 2) from the main shaft 9 of the machine upon which shaft the chain wheel 80 is fixed.

The shaft 9 extends crosswise the machine so.

that at its outer end it may have fixed upon it the driving pulleys 9a and 9b. 7

Upon the shaft. 9- is splined a sliding sleeve 10 which has circumferential flanges 10a and 10b 50 f fixed upon it so-that when said sleeve 10 is slid longitudinally over the shaft 9 it, at one time, causes the friction clutch 11a to engage with its bevel Wheel 11 (as is shown by Fig. 4) while at another time the sliding of the sleeve 10 will cause the clutch 11b to engage the bevel wheel 12 by which arrangement said wheels 11 and 12,

which normally revolve loosely upon the shaft 9, are coupled to said shaft 9 and therefore when such coupling is effected each bevel wheel 11 or 12 will transmit motion to its corresponding bevel Wheels 13, 14, as will be understood. These bevel wheels 13, 14 are fixed upon the shafts of the rollers 15 and respectively. Thus when the bevel wheel 11 is rotating its bevel wheel 13 then the roller 15 will be positively rotated, while simultaneously the wheel 12 will berunning loosely upon its shaft 9 and therefore the pull of the fabric as it is withdrawn by the pulling of its roller 15 will rotate the roller 15a and its wheel 14 will transmit motion to the freely mounted wheel 12, until the reversal occurs.

'The rollers 15 and 1512 are the ordinary coiling or winding and unwinding rollers that are mounted within the dye-vat P so that'the' fabric being treated maybe caused to travel through 1,994,545 said vale P firstly in one directionand then in the opposite direction in the usual and well known manner, but under the conditions when our improved apparatus is employed so that the motions of said rollers 15 and 15aare controlled. h

'When thefdriving mechanism andthe devices hereinbefore "described are in their-respective positions shown by Fig. 1 the roller 15 will be winding the coil of fabric uponv it and will be withdrawing it from the roll or coil of fabric on the roller 15a; Y

, Afterjthe roller 15 has been driven a predetermined. number of-revolutions, the drive is automatically shifted to the ro1ler'15a by a quarter revolution of the cam drum 2 so that the fabric is thereupon drawn through the dye inthe reverse direction. Devices 'for'controllingthe rotation of the cam drum are as follows: A sprocket wheel .17 is mounted on the shaft ofthe roller 15ato rotate therewith, and is connected by a chain to a sprocket wheel 172) which is connected through a normally engaged clutch 18a to'a shaft 18. ,'A

spring keeps the clutch 18a engaged: except when the clutch is manuallydisengaged as here-.., inafter described. Thus, during theordinary operationof the apparatus, the shaft 18 isj-driven I in one direction or the other according to the direction-of rotation of the roller 15a.

On theopposite end ofthe'shaft' 18 tothat upon which the slidingclutch 18a is splined,-.-is'

fixed a worm 20 and this worm 20 transmits mo-. tion to a worm wheel20a that is fixed upon a shaft 202) that extends crosswise the machine as is shown by Fig. 1. On the otherendof the shaft 20bis fixed another worm'21 which meshes with: a worm wheel21a fixedupon a shaft 21b that:

extends from its bearings upon the-side platei M15 I to the bearings upon, the side plate M; Uponthe outer I end of this shaft, 215 are. .adjustably. mounted cam arms 22- and 22a with theirflend cam surfaces arrangedtov contact with an in-l clined-member 23a that is formed on a. lever 23.. 1

Thus as the cam arms 22 and 22a are adjusted" with their outer ends further-apart or closer'together so will the motion 'of the shaft 21b be. continued through, alonger or a shorter. space when bringing eachof the said arms 22 into; position orcontactwith; the incline 23a. on the lever 23, for the purpose of operating same to I I I 1,. 50 The lever 23 is fixed upon thehorizontal shaft 24 upon which isfixed'anotherhorizontal lever 1 arm 2411 the outer end of which extends to operplate:25 shown-by Figs. 1, 2,.

effect. a reversal hereinafterexplained.

ate (as by raising) a 5 and 6. This plate 25 is held in a normal position (withits arresting pin 25a'against its sup porting bracket 255) by a spring/.250 in orders that its notched part 25d maybe placed'in the normalposition shown by Fig.

-The notched plate25r has ing 25 of the bracket 25bv in the part Within the opening and 5.

its hubextending into, so that it might slide within, the hub bear-i 25f of the bracket 25b is, mounted a spring 259 (Fig. 2) which normally keeps the;

Extending laterally from the sliding bolts 7 7 c. I

are horizontal arms :2, which reach beyond the 2* as is shown by side surface-of the cam drum Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 10 and extend over the plate 25 (Fig. 5); When the cam arms 22 and 22ajactu1 ate the lever 23 as is hereinbefore'described, the f lever 24a raises the plate 2 am therefore raises the arm x extending from: one or otherof the sliding bolts 7-7:; so. that n such occasion the 27b of the, bar 27, the corresponding arm enthen downwardlyextending end of the bolt? so raised is lifted clear of a sliding bar 27 and this sliding bar 27 is moved by the actions of aspring 27a. to advance its cam or inclined end 2% beyond the end of'the bolt 7, Thus said sliding bar 27 is permitted to move the forked arm 28, which is fixed upon it, so that the forked end of same will carry the clutch coupling 8w into gear with its sprocket wheel 800. Therefore rotary motion is transmitted at this time to the shaft 8 and by the pinion 8b it is also transmitted through the wheel 3 to the cam drum 2. r

This motion of the parts described, revolves said cam drum 2 through one stage so as to bring thenext or succeeding sliding bolt 7c into engagement with the end 27b of the sliding bar 27, so that it will force said bar 2'7 outwardly against the pressure of its spring 27a and thus uncouple the'clutch 8w to leave the shaft 8 stationary. As the'bolt 7c rides on the bevelled end surface gages the edge ofthe plate 25 in the notch 2512, since at this time the plate is being held i an elevated position (above the position shown in Fig. 5) so as to be in the path of motion of the arm as. Further movement of the arm as, after engagement in the notch 25d, rotates the plate through a small angle against the pull of the spring 250 (as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6). The plate thus acts as a resilient check on the rotation of the drum 2. Meanwhile the movement of the bolt '70 on the bevelled end 271) of the bar 27 has displaced the bar axially so asto disengage the clutch member 8w from the sprocket wheel 8a. This disconnects the drum 2 from its drive. A pawl 54 (Fig. 2) prevents retrograde movement of the drum 2 by reason of the spring 250;

When the bolt '70 engages the end of the bar 27, the cam 2a has reversed the rotation of the rollers and 15a, and hence the sprocket wheel 17. This results in a reverse rocking of the shaft 211) which carries the arms 22 and 2211. Such reverse movement releases the levers 23 and 24a.

. The'latter thus permits the plate to descend to its normal position below the arm a:, as shown in Fig. 5. The notch 25d is thus released from the arm as, and the plate is rotated back to its normal position by the spring 250, leaving the drum free for subsequent further rotation. The plate is then ready to lift the arm a: so as to retract the bolt 70 into the drum when the lever 24a is next rocked.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that when the machine has, its operating devices in the positions shown by the drawings with the clutch 11a engaging the wheel 11 the rotary motions of the main shaft 9 will be rotating the roller 15 and therefore will be winding the coil of fabrics around it. The continued winding of this roller 15 is permitted to proceed until the end of the fabric is reached, such as the end of sixty, seventy or eighty yards of fabric as may be the case.

During the winding operations of. the shaft 15 the'shaft 15a will be revolving under the pull of the fabric upon it and will thereforebe causing the sprocket wheel 17 to transmit motion through the devices herein described so. that the worms 20 and 21 and their respective wheels 20a and 21a will be rotating, at the desired speed, the shaft 211). The rotation of the said shaft 211) under the slowmovements transmitted to it will cause one or, other (say thecam' ended am 2200 to advance towards so as to operate the lever 23 as disengagement of the clutch 8w and therefore arrest the motions of the rollers 15 and 15a until the cam arm 220 has moved clear of the wedge surface 23a on the lever 23, at which time the spring 270. will again effect another engagement of the clutch member 8w with the sprocket wheel 8, thereby rotating the cam barrel 2 to bring another sliding bolt 711. into contact with the sliding bar 27 in order to again arrest the motions described.

, Simultaneously with the moving of the bolt 7 or 7a into contact with the sliding bar 2'7 the cam surfaces 2a will have moved the clutch couplings 11a and 11b so that the clutch 11b is now made to engage with its wheel 12, while the clutch 11a is disengaged from the wheel 11. In this manner a reversal in the direction of motion of the wheels 13 and 14 is effected and the roller 15a becomes the driven roller while the roller '15 pays out the fabric until again the other arm 22 on the shaft 215 is brought in the opposite direction to actuate the lever 23 with the result hereinbefore described.

. The number of reversals is controlled by the number of cam surfaces 2a that are brought into use, such as all the four when only four are made use of, but three of such four may be used, or if the cam drum 2 has six cam surfaces then five or six or fewer of said surfaces may be brought into use.

As will be observed by the explanation of the functions of thebolts 44o and '7--7c the number of reversals in the direction of motion of the rollers 15 and 15a may be arranged for according to the adjusting of the cam 5 within the central part of the cam drum 2 as is shown by Fig. .7.

According to Fig. 7 the cam 5 is adjusted in posi- 3 on the dial 61). Consequently it will show that the cam 5 has adjusted the bolt 4b to come into position when said cam is carried in its rotary path by and with the drum 2, on account of its projecting end lying in the path of the sliding bar 27. i

The position of the bolt 4b. from where it is shown in Fig. 7 relative to the otherbolts 4, 4a and 4c is such that said bolt 42) will have to be rotated through seven eighths of a revolution of the drum 2 before its outer projecting end comes into position beneath the centre of the drum. 2 where it will engage with the inclined end 27b of the sliding bar 2'7. Consequently the surfaces on the drum 2 will have performed three reversals but the fabric will have passed four times through the liquor under the control of the engaging and disengaging clutches 11a. and 11b, and the next movement will-then be to slide the bar 27 against the actions of its spring 27a in order to disengage the driving clutch 8w from the wheel 8a, thereby arresting the motion of the shaft 8 and consequently that of the drum 2.

When the drum 2 has thus arrived in its position with the projecting end of the bolt 4b in contact with the inclined end of the bar 27 the corresponding incline 2a on said cam drum 2 will be half-way between the positions when it will have carried the clutch operating member 10d;

on the completion of the numberof reversals of the devices described the roll of fabric that has been treated will remain upon one roller 15 or upon the other roller 15a which may be then detached or removedfor another supply of fabric on another roller to take its place. The attendant will then actuate the handle 40 (Figs. 1 and 11) in order to oscillate the shaft 41 so that said shaft may carry a cam 42 over the upper edge of a sliding plate 43, thus causing said sliding plate to slide through its supporting brackets 44 and press down the lever 45 which is normally held in its horizontal position by the recoil of a spring 45a. This lever 45 in compressing the spring 45a raises a sliding bracket 1011 against the recoil of the spring 45a and so-lifts the lower end of said bracket 10d out of the groove between the flanges 10a and 10b on the sliding sleeve 10, thus liberating the operating member 10d from said sliding sleeve 10, therefore permitting the attendant to manually operate said sliding sleeve 10 and the clutch members 11a and 11b to enable same to engage or disengage with their wheels for transmitting motion to the rollers 15 and 15a. as desired, while all the other parts of the machine are stationary. I

At the time that the attendant actuates the I lever 40 and the shaft 41 so that by the cam 42 and other devices he may raise the operating memher 106 from engagement with the flanges on the sliding member 10, said operation of the shaft 41 operates an arm 41a in order to come in contact with a projection 190: on the forked lever 19 hereinbefore described. Thus this forked lever will disengage the clutch 18a from engagement with the wheel 17b, thereby liberating the movements controlled by said wheel 175.

As is hereinbefore stated, when the engaging member 10d (which is actuated by the cam surfaces 2a, as is hereinbefore described) is raised from the groove between the flanges 10aand 10b the attendant may actuate the sliding member 10 as is stated by manually operating the handle 46 so that by the connecting rod 4611 he may oscillate the forked lever 46b and this forked lever enters the groove between the members 10a and 10b on the sleeve 10. I

In connection with the winding apparatus, as is well known, it is essential that when either of the rollers 15 and 15a are not in gear with their driving wheels they must be held or retarded in their actions, otherwise the over-running of said rollers would disarrange the tension of the fabric or cloth as it was passing through the vat P In order to enable this retardation of the rollers to be automatically putinto gear with the freely running roller and taken out of gear or engagement with the driven roller I arrange that the lower end of the forked lever 4619 shall have pivotally attached to it a slotted connecting rod 47, the slot 47a being arranged to span its operating pin to allow motion for the purpose hereinafter described. This rod 47 has its other end pivotally connected to a lever 475 which lever is fixed upon a shaft 48 that extends lengthwise the machine where it is supportedby brackets 48a and 48b fixed on theend of the vat P. On the other end of the shaft 48 is fixed a lever 49 and this lever is connected by a rod 49a to the pendent arm 49b of a lever 490 which is pivoted at 50 upon the end plate of the vat P as'is shown by Fig; 3'; v The'horizontally extending arms 490 from the central stud 50 are slotted to receive hooks 50c and 50b upon whichare suspended the weights 50c and 5001 which have their upper'ends secured to straps or belts 51- and 51a that take over groovedpulleys 51b and 510; these pulleys 5lb and5lc being fixed upon the. shafts of the rollers 15 and 15a respectively. By this arrangement of devices, when the'att'endant actuates the handle 46 to operate the forked lever 465 he also actuatesl the connecting rod 47 by the pin in'the end of the lever 46b travelling over a distance idly with-j in the slot 47a in the'rod47 for a purpose here; inafter described so that the movement of the rod 47 by the actions of the pin in the slot 47a will causethe lever 49 to oscillate the arm 49b, through the medium of the rod 49a so that it will raise one weight 50d while it allows the other weight 500 to descend, or vice-versa. By these means, when the weight 5001 is raised, as is shown by Fig.3, then the brake strap 51c is'raised from contact with the roller 51a, while the other strap 51 is permitted to descend into'contact withthe grooved pulley 515, thus bringing each'brake into and out of operation as'desired.

The slot 47a in the connecting rod 47' is permit the lever 46b to oscillate freely during the automatic reversals of the clutches 11d and until said lever has reached its central posi-' tion when it will then carry the rod 47 in one direction or the other direction as the case, may be to complete the motion for operating-the brakes. t

In order to prevent the cam drum 2 from any,

rotary motion that may be imparted to it by the;

vibratory actions of the machine when in use, we. make use of an engaging pawl 54 which, by a.

spring 54a, is madeto engage with the teeth oi the wheel 3 which'is mountedupon'the drumZ, Fig. 2.

Such bein the nature and object of ourinvention, what we claim is:

1. Mechanism for'controlling th'eoperation (it jiggerdyeing machines having a pair. of rolls for fabrics, a drive shaft, and means including a clutch for connecting said shaft operatively with either of said rolls, said mechanism' comprising a cam drum, cooperating cam means on said drum and clutch for shifting" said clutch for alternate connection of saiddrive shaft/with said rolls, and means driven by one of said rolls for causing sufficient rotation of said drum after a predetermined number of revolutions of said one roll to shift said clutch.

2. Mechanism for controlling the operation of a jigger dyeing machine having a pair of rolls for fabrics, a drive shaft, and means including a clutch for connecting said shaft operatively with either one 'of' said rolls, said mechanism comprising acam drum, a cam thereon, driving connec tions including an auxiliary clutch between said drum and said drive shaft, means cooperating with said cam to shiftsaid clutch in response torotation of said drum through a predetermined angle, means for rendering said auxiliary clutch operative after a predetermined'number'of revo-,

lutions of said one roll, andmeans including a. bolt carried by said drum for rendering said, auxiliary clutch inoperative when the drum rotated through a sufficient angle to shift the main clutch.

3. Means for controlling the operation of a jigger dyeing machine having a pair of rolls for fabrics, a drive shaft, and means including a clutch member shiftable to connect said shaft alternately with said rolls, said mechanism comprising a cam, a cam follower normally connected to said clutch member for actuation thereof, manually operable means for disconnecting'said clutch member from said cam follower, and manually operable means for shifting said clutch member when disconnected from said cam follower.

4. Means for controlling the operation of a jigger dyeing machine having a pair of rolls for fabrics, a drive shaft, and means including a clutch member shiftable to connect said shaft alternately with said rolls, said mechanism comprising a cam drum adapted for step-by-step rotation for shifting said clutch member back and forth, escapement means actuable after a predetermined number of rotations of one of said rolls to connect said drum to said shaft for rotation and automatically operating to stop said drum after rotation through a predetermined angle, and means for stopping said drum and rolls after a predetermined number of reversals.

5. Mechanism for controlling the operation of a jigger dyeing machine having a pair of rolls for fabrics, a drive shaft, and means including a clutch member shiftable to connect said shaft alternately with said rolls, said mechanism comprising a wavy cam, a cam follower for said cam normally connected to said clutch member for reciprocating motion therewith so as to shift said clutch member, means for advancing said cam relatively to said follower in a step-by-step motion whereby said follower alternately engages the successive crests and troughs of the wavy cam, and means automatically actuable after a predetermined numbenof reversals to limit the succeeding movement of said cam to half its usual movement, whereby the follower rests midway between a crest and trough and the clutch member is arrested in neutral position.

6. Mechanism for controlling the rotation of fabric rolls of a jigger dyeing machine, comprising a cam drum, a series of angularly spaced pins normally projecting from said drum, stop means engageableby said pins to stop the drum in positions for causing operation of said rolls, means automatically actuable to retract the pin engaging said stop means when one of said rolls has completed a predetermined number of revolutions, and means responsive to the retraction of the stop-engaging pin to cause the rotation of said drum until the next successive pin engages the stop means.

LEONARD TOWLER. WILLIAM TOWLER. 

